Investing in Health and Care

As an Occupational Therapist I spent years working to increase the independence of children and adults across medical settings, and saw firsthand the role of care in shaping the health of individuals. As a small-business owner, I’ve found it difficult to afford health insurance, with costs that have been rising 10-15 percent every year, all while private insurers take in record profits. As a husband and father, I’ve seen Republican health care plans rolled out that would categorize my wife and daughters as preexisting conditions, and I've noticed our insurer billed for medication that is 33 times more expensive here than a few hundred miles north in Canada.

Throughout our district we have unfilled jobs and decreased productivity impacted by workers who are unable to remain healthy and pass required drug tests. Wecontinue to pay more for health care with lower health outcomes than most of the developed world. We must commit to moving toward a more efficient andless costly system of providing and paying for health care, where individuals may address health concerns more quickly, including rehabilitation measures to kick drug addictions.

We must also ensure that reimbursement rates are sufficient for a medical centers, and that we’re able to get a handle on reducing pharmaceutical prices. We must declare health care to be the right of ALL Americans, not just the privileged few; set the stage for a healthier workforce; and unlock entrepreneurial small business startups by moving to a more efficient, less costly, and effective system of health coverage which isMedicare For All.